Hay-rake



(ModeL) M. BUTLER.

HAY BAKE.

Patented Jan. 17,1882.

I INVENTOR WITNESSES OMM ATTORNEYS Unwrap S'ra res FATENT 'tOrrrceMANLOVE BUTLER, or VERNON, Assionon To PLEASANT o. MQGANNON,

or NORTH VERNON, lNDIANA.

HAY-RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,586, dated January17, 1882.

Application filed November 26, 1881. Model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MANLOVE BUTLER, a citizenof the United States, resident of Vernon, in the county of Jennings andState of Indiana, have invented a new and valuable Improvement inHay-Rakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame,'ret'erence being had to the annexed drawings, making a part ofthis specification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a sec ional view, partlyin elevation. Fig.- 2 is a similar view, showing the lever sprung; andFig. 3 is a perspective view.

This invention has relation to hay-rakes; and it consists in theconstruction and novel arrangement of the slide-joint sections of theholding or controlling lever orclamp, the bracesection pivoted to thehandle-section, and the automatic catch therewith connected, all ashereinafter set forth, and especially pointed outin the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, the letterA designates the revolvingrake-head, which is held in steady position for gathering the hay bymeans of clamp-lever B, having a clampingband, C, which passes around ajournal band or ring, D, having marginal flanges a to keep theclamping-band in proper position at all times, whether loose or fast.

E E designate the lateral draft-bars, to which the journals bat the endsof the center bar ot the rake-head are pivoted.

The clamplever B consists of three parts or sections, to wit the bearingor clamp section F, the handle section Gr, and the brace-section H,these parts being connected together in the following manner to formasingle lever: The end section, F, isformed with aconcave bearing orseat, 0, at its end, in which is received the-journal D of therake-head. It is also provided with a clamping-band,0,which extendsaround the journal D, and is adjustably fast ened to the brace-sectionby means ofcla-mpscrews 6 passing through slots 9 of the band. The upperportion of the clamp-section is recessed from the shoulder It to providea seat, 70,

forthe brace-section, The end ofthe clamp-section is provided withlateral stud-projectionsl.

The handle G is provided with lateral or cheek plates m, which extend oneach side or the clamp-section, as indicated at a, and are slottedlongitudinally at s to engage the projections l of said clamp-section.The extended ends a of these cheek-plates project above theclamp-section to receive between them a portion of the brace-section, towh ch they are pivoted, as indicated at 19. To one of the cheekplates ispivoted an angular gravity or spring I catch, K, the stentfot' which isextended upward along the handle G, so thatit can be easily reached bythe operator when required. Between the cheek'plates a recess or seat,r, is formed to receive the upper end of the bracesection H, the lowerend of which is cut obliquely and abuts against the shoulder hot theclamp-section, said shoulder beingprovided with a pin-guide, t, which engagesa perforation in the end of the brace and keeps it in position. Theupper end of the brace-section, which extends across the slide-jointconnection of the handle and clamp sections and is received in therecess 1 of the handle, is provided with a catch projection or stud,o,with which the levercatch Kis designed to engage when the bracesectionis seated in the recesses of the other two sections, and is in closecontact with said sections, forming a rigid lever and holding thejournal of the rake-head firmly in ,the clamp-seat at its end. When thecatch K is disengaged by raising its stem the liberated end of the braceH flies up and the entire lever bends upward at the slide-joint. Thismovement loosens the band-connection on the journal D and allows therake-head to turn over easily and deposit its load without jarring orinconvenience to the operator. Then by raising the handle quickly thebrace is brought into its bearings, drawing the band-claniptight on thejournal of the rake-head, the catch K automatically securing the partstogether. The inner corner, :0, of the oblique end 00 of thebrace-section is always in contact with the shoulder h of theclamp-section, and forms a fulcrum, on which the brace vibrates. Whenthe brace is down the upper corner, be, of the oblique end is drawn awayfrom the shoulder,

and in this manner the clamp-band is tight ened on'the journal; but whenthe brace is liberated its end approaches the shoulder squarely, and theband is thereby rendered loose on the journal.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. [n a controlling-lever for hay-rakes, the combination, with the endsections and their slide-joint connection, of the bl ace-section and theautomatic catch, substantially as specified.

2. In a controlling-lever for hay-rakes, the combination,'with theshouldered clamp sec-- tion F and its clamp-band (J, of the handle Gr,its slide jointcheek-platesm, the pivoted brace MANLOVE BUTLER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD I. HICKS, WM. B. HAGINS.

